After seeing how Brad is toughing it in the high desert/Spring pictures
Wow Brad,
I really feel for you. Your most recent post of the fence really shows the relationship of your outside world around your home. I am so shocked how much you are toughing it. What are your plans for changing the landscape?
When I moved into this house everything that had been previously planted was gone, except two large pecan trees that managed to set a deep enough root system to reach the underground water table. I am within walking distance to the Rio Grande so the water table here is about 15-18 feet.
It has been five years and after removing three dead mature trees I planted another 20. I have added tons of plant-life. Some survived over the years and some were ravaged by the chickens. This year, thanks to Rudi, the chickens spend their days in their own fenced area.
Here are some Spring Pics, and hopefully inspiration to your own future plantings and how you can change the frontier and become an oasis for migrating critters as well as for providing beauty and health.
Enjoy, all of these were taken today.
Sorry sort of long. Anyways, I have tons of seeds each year to share. Typically in the Fall when I do all my mulching, but also throughout the year. Let me know. Most of my plantings are drought tolerant and "invasive" as far as where water is provided. I find that most of the true invasives never leave the care zone. Left alone the desert turns back into the desert no matter how much care is put into it; but, with a little bit of energy an enchanted forest could be created in your own backyard. I love your views, but I can half feel the redundancy to the tundra and how sometimes it seems like a barren desert. No less magical but certainly expansive and large. Seeds, seeds, and more seeds :}
Thanks for sharing your pics. I bet you will love spending more time outdoors.
Ron and Rudi
Before you know it your trees will grow into majestic giants.
Take care, Ron and Rudi.
Comments
wow, your yard is amazing Ron! I'm very envious! Jen was reading this thread with me too and she was very impressed. She spent a good bit of today at the nursery working with a lady, we are trying to figure out the ground cover first then put some though into the plants, & etc.
The biggest issue for us is that the covenants of our neighborhood is pretty strict about outdoor watering, so we have to find indigenous plants & grasses to use that don't require much water.
We have our target set on a few Ash and Elm trees to help provide shade for the pups and some color, and we spoke to the lady about some grasses but are not sure what route to go, since we can't really water it.
Right now, with all the fence construction, the hard ground has been polverized into dust and the spring wind is whipping it around the yard... it makes it pretty uncomfortable!
Thanx so much for sharing the pics... Once we get the fence built I will probably have a lot of questions for you - I hope you don't mind.
Thanx!
I have no land, that is the curse of renting. I'm going to get pics of
my indoor oasis today. But WOW I love your desert oasis! I need to
move..
we
are required to barrel our water for outside plants so our landlord
doesn't have to pay the water bill for our outdoor hose hook up
Covenants even out there? Geez'us Louise'us! I swear that is the one thing that is hardest in this world; dealing with control issues.
Seriously though, I do understand the desire of some in preventing "junk" and "trash" from taking over. I am also a renter. When I met this house it had not been stepped into in three years. The cobwebs were thick. The roof above the bathroom had broke through and repeatedly flooded the room. Leaving the bathroom to be gutted.
Here is a good comparison of the front view I just took (taken five years ago)
Brad~~ I will have to agree with everyone. Rain collection. I would even look into those large tanks that can go underground. Then tons of seeds. Most of my trees were seedlings by me. Each year I try at least six new varieties by seed in the garden. Trial and error but not a large investment.
As far as your choice of Elm, you might look into obtaining a Slippery Elm instead of a Chinese or American Hybrid. The Slippery Elm has an incredible Medicinal History. A worthy tree to plant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_Elm
OK, I guess I said a mouthful again.
wow, that's a big difference Ron!
Good call on the rain collection too! Jen and I had talked about that, but for some reason it never occurred to me to use it to water plants... we intended to use it for the house.